Sandra tells about her initial difficulties in the United States and how, realizing she wouldn't get very far without knowing English, she learned it on her own. Starting from a humble job in the restaurant industry, she quickly grew professionally.

During an important evening at the Washington, D.C. restaurant where Sandra was the dining room manager, the usual chef didn't show, and Sandra found herself having to manage the kitchen as well. She had no experience there, and so it was somewhat of a disaster. The episode pushed her to learn, however: Thanks to the help of an expert cook, she began an apprenticeship, acquired skills, and started building a career bringing Italian cuisine to the United States.

The story of Sandra continues, a Tuscan chef who emigrated to the United States, who established herself in Miami with authentic Tuscan cuisine. Thanks to her continuous ties with Italy, she keeps her roots alive, even cooking for Barack Obama.

The story of Sandra continues, a restaurateur in Miami, chosen to cook at a White House event for Barack Obama. Between initial disbelief and rigorous security checks, the experience becomes a source of great pride for her. The story also highlights the value of friendship and the importance of reinventing oneself in life.

Sandra now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in North Carolina. She is still working and loves it. She and Marika discuss some Italian expressions about the value of work and about how their friendship has lasted all these years.

Even though the tomato is an immigrant in Italy, it has become synonymous with Italian cooking. The soil produced by Vesuvius and the mild climate of the area around Naples and Salerno have allowed the San Marzano tomato to become King.

Patrizia works as an agronomist collaborating with farmers who grow heirloom vegetables of the Campania tradition. She describes a couple of different kinds of tomatoes and what they're typically used for.

Watermelon is another product of this special terrain on the slopes of Vesuvius. In the north, this is called cocomero, but in the south, it's anguria. There are some sensational wines from Vesuvius, too.

This land is not only good for cultivating grapes for wine, but also the special piennolo tomatoes, that keep for several months.

Gragnano is a town near Naples known for its pasta production. There are many different shapes and types, but they all are a bit rough to the touch, because they go through a bronze cutter, rather than a Teflon one. That's why the pasta holds the sauce better. Of course, everyone living in Gragnano is an expert about pasta.

Coral has been made into jewelry in Torre del Greco since the fifteenth century. In that same century, a variety of grapes arrived from Catalunya, which over time has produced a wine with a unique personality.

The Romans were the ones to introduce the culture of wine to the area around Mount Vesuvius as can be seen by what was left behind in places like Ercolano. And it is in Ercolano where a unique cooperative has been set up to cultivate a very special variety of tomatoes.

Musician Carlo Ipata talks about the Rossi Theater in Pisa, his hometown. Amazingly, this eighteenth-century theater managed to escape modern renovations, allowing us a glimpse of what theatergoing would have been like in earlier times.

Pino Daniele with his unmistakable, magical voice, performs his hit song "Quando" (When) from 1991. It's featured on the album Sott' o sole and was part of the soundtrack of Pensavo fosse amore... invece era un calesse (I thought it was love, but it was a barouche), a 1991 film directed by and starring Massimo Troisi. In this live performance, the audience sings along on the refrain, and so can you!

Pimpa has to stay home to do homework but she gets distracted... by a frog! Rachele loves to sing but is very hoarse. Pimpa helps out and learns a bit of "frogese" in the process.